As regular readers will know I’m not so keen on the modern, contemporary styles of reggae. The previous outing from Gyptian, ‘My Name Is’, threw up a couple of surprise tracks, such as the modern day redemption song ‘Serious Times’. So I thought I would give ‘I Feel Your Pain’ a spin.

The album opens with a warm and sincere acoustic cut entitled ‘Keep Your Calm’, which sets the album up nicely. The album has a range of influences, the most prominent being the glossy R n B style, which for me does absolutely nothing. Tracks like ‘I Can Feel Your Pain’, ‘Where is my Baby’ and ‘Love against the Wall’ bear no resemblance to reggae and would be well at home on MTV, which I guess is the point of artists like Gyptian.

Actual reggae cuts are too few and far between for my liking. ‘Too Badmind’ is a straight-ahead tune, but lacks any real excitement. ‘Sensi’ is the albums obligatory Ganja track, which is actually not a bad outing, featuring a more traditional roots style. ‘Nobody No Cry’ flies close to the Marley legacy in name, but is generally unremarkable. The final track ‘Guide Me’ ends on a smooth, heartfelt note, which ties the whole album up nicely.

No one can deny that Gyptian has talent; his vocal skills are impressive and at times emotionally stirring, however personally I find this album bland and wishy-washy. In saying this, I’m sure the album will do well in the cross-over market and from what I’ve read in the press is destined for great things.

Review by Jumpup

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